Winter One Shots
by WillowSakura
Summary: Just one shots centered on Bucky/O.C. pairings. Other pairings may be added as more one shots are written. I'm open to one shot requests as well.
1. Chapter 1

"Leave me alone!" She whispered, grabbing a fistful of her hair in each hand. Her head was pounding, and tears streamed down her face. "I'm not going to give in to this! You can't make me do anything!" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she let out a sob.

In a fit of despair, rage and frustration, she punched the mirror above the sink in the bathroom. It cracked, and pieces of glass fell into the sink. She didn't register the pain in her knuckles until she flexed her hand. Tiny shards of glass were sticking out of her skin, and blood ran down to her fingertips until it dropped onto the floor.

"I'm home!" A familiar voice called from another room. "Eva? Where are you?" He called out. She heard his footsteps come closer to the bathroom. "You in there, hon?" He knocked on the door. Eva picked up a shard of glass from the sink and gripped it tightly in her hand. The jagged edges pierced into the flesh of her palm.

"Go away... Please..." Eva sobbed as she dropped to her knees. The door handle turned, and opened slowly. His expression changed from smiling and happy to shocked and horrified. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the girl he cared about kneeling on the floor; bleeding and crying.

"Eva!" He cried out, kneeling in front of her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. The cool metal of his hand seemed to calm her racing pulse. "Eva, baby..." He gently cupped her chin with his soft hand. His eyes locked onto hers, and he noticed how she looked so scared and confused. Her lower lip trembled.

"No..." Eva's whole body shuddered as a chill passed through her. Bucky looked over her shaking form, and moved both his hands to gently cup her hand that was holding the shard of glass. He gently pried open her fingers, and took the glass from her grasp. Tossing it in the sink, he wrapped his arms around her and held her head against his chest as she sobbed.

"Eva... Shh..." Bucky stroked her hair gently as he rocked her.

"Bucky..." She whimpered in a voice so defeated that it made Bucky's heart break. Tears stung at his eyes. He felt her grip onto the front of his shirt. She was shaking and muttering to herself. "The voices... They won't leave me alone..." Eva sobbed. Bucky ran his hand up and down her back, and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"It's OK, baby. I'm here. I'm here." He reassured her.

"Help...me..." Eva looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face. Bucky leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't leave me... I can't..." The brunette girl slumped against him. Bucky re-positioned his hands, and cradled her in his arms as he stood up.

"I'm not going anywhere." He whispered his reply as he carried her out of the bathroom, and sat down on the couch. She was still slumped against him, her face buried in his chest. "You're stronger than this." He reassured her, wrapping her up in his arms. Eventually, she stopped shaking and muttering. Her grip on his shirt slipped, and her hand fell limply into her lap. Bucky looked down, and saw her eyes were closed. He'd tend to her wounds once she woke up.

He understood all to well what it was like to be tormented by voices in your head. After what Hydra had done to him, it took him years to recover. His heart broke for Eva. She had been dealt a shit hand in life, and she struggled to deal with her mental illnesses on top of everything.

Despite all that, Bucky truly cared for her. He saw what a good person she was, how caring she was towards others; putting her needs aside to care for someone else. She deserved to be loved and cared for. And Bucky was determined to give that to her. No matter what the cost was.


	2. Chapter 2

Eva was having trouble sleeping. Tossing and turning in the bed next to Bucky, who was out like a light. Every so often, he would twitch slightly. But other than that, he didn't wake. Eva ran her hands through her hair as she stood up from the bed. Rays of moonlight shone through the window panes, casting her shadow on the floor. She quietly slipped out of the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Out in the living room, she stretched and headed towards the kitchen. She flipped on the light over the sink, grabbed a glass out of the cupboard, and filled it with water from the sink. After taking a few sips, she walked over and sat down on the couch. She grabbed the remote off the table and turned the television on, making sure the volume wasn't too loud.

She absentmindedly flipped through the channels, until she came across Scream 4 on one of the movie channels. Eva shrugged and set the remote back down on the table. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was quarter after one in the morning. She took another drink of her water, then set the glass on the table next to the remote.

The movie went by rather quickly, and Eva felt really satisfied with the ending. It had been a long time since a movie gave her such a great feeling of satisfaction. She turned off the television, and grabbed her now empty glass. She headed into the kitchen and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly half past two now. But she still wasn't very tired.

With a shrug, Eva set her glass in the sink and turned on the hot water. She grabbed a sponge and the dish soap, and began cleaning the few dishes that were in the sink. About five minutes later, the sink was empty and Eva was drying everything and putting it away. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She flipped off the light and headed back into her bedroom.

Quietly, she opened the door and entered the room. She shut it just as quietly and walked towards the bed. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but the bed was empty. Eva bit her lip as her heart sped up. She couldn't see Bucky anywhere in the room, but she knew he was still there. Panic and fear swept through her when she thought back to when this had happened before. Bucky was having an episode.

Moving slowly, Eva approached the side of the bed. She turned towards the closet and took a shaky breath. With shaky hands, she reached out for the door handles.

"Bucky?" She called out softly, her voice cracking with fear. Her hands were mere centimeters away from the handles when the doors burst open. Eva cried out as she flew backwards and became pinned against the bed. Her cry became muffled as she felt Bucky's cold metal hand over her lips. She grabbed a hold of his arm and tried in vain to pull off but, when she felt something sharp and cold against her neck, she let her hands fall back against the bed. She didn't resist him.

"Why are you here?" Bucky growled, his voice harsh and commanding. Rays of moonlight fell on his face, and she could see that his eyes were different. They were cold and piercing as he glared down at her. He wasn't Bucky anymore. He was the Winter Soldier. Eva let out a muffled reply, but it was incoherent. "Why are you here?" He repeated, uncovering her mouth so she could speak. "Why won't you just leave us alone?" Eva shook underneath him.

"Please, Bucky. I'm unarmed." Eva whispered, keeping her hands on the bed. She didn't want to move. "Bucky... Bucky, come back to me." She pleaded in a desperate voice. "It's Eva. It's Eva!" She could see his expression start to change. But the Winter Soldier took over once again. He picked Eva up by the neck, and pinned her against the wall.

"Leave us alone!" He demanded, holding the blade in his hand as if he was ready to strike. Eva quickly reached her hand out, and placed it over his heart.

"Your aнгел..." She whispered, feeling his erratic heartbeat in his chest. "Aнгел." She repeated, seeing the expression of his face change. The Winter Soldier was gone, and Bucky was back. The knife fell to the floor, and Bucky followed. He hung his head and looked at the floor. Eva fell to her knees, and quickly grabbed the knife. She slid it underneath the nightstand, making a mental note to put it in her safe later.

"Eva..." His voice cracked, and she didn't even need to see his face to know that he was crying. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him close to her. His head rested on her chest, and he slumped to the floor. Eva cradled him and stroked his hair gently.

"Shh... Bucky, it's OK." She shushed him and kissed the top of his head. She could feel the wetness of his tears on her shirt. "I'm fine." Eva whispered, before humming softly.

"I don't want to hurt you." He choked out. "Ever." Eva continued humming and gently stroking his hair.

"Everything's OK. I promise." Eva tilted his head up to face her. She wiped the tears away from his eyes and smiled lovingly at him. "Just sleep now, baby." She placed a gently kiss on his lips. He placed his metal hand on her cheek, and caressed her gently. Eva pulled away, and interlaced her fingers with his metal ones. She began humming softly again, holding him tightly against her.

"My aнгел..." Bucky whispered softly, before drifting off to sleep with Eva's soft humming washing relief over him.

* * *

><p>aнгел - Angel<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Eva nervously paced back and forth in front of the window as she stared out at the darkening sky. She twirled her long brown hair around her finger and sighed softly. It had been almost seventy-two hours since Bucky left for the mission with Steve. And while he had gone on missions before, this one gave her a sinking feeling. It felt more dangerous. It was normal that she didn't hear from him when he went on missions, but that didn't stop her from worrying and crying herself to sleep while he was gone. Though she didn't think she would ever tell him that.

_"Bucky, I really don't have a good feeling about this." Eva said, gently taking his hand in her own. "Please..." She looked up at him pleadingly. He met her eyes, but didn't hold the gaze. The look in her eyes was too painful for him to see._

_"Eva, I..." Bucky sighed, pulling her against him as his free hand cradled the back of her head. "Steve and I are the only ones that can do this mission right now." He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "You know I don't like to leave you. But I'll be back before you know it." He cupped her chin and tilted her head back so she was staring up at him._

_"But I - " Eva began, but Bucky cut her off by gently placing his lips on hers. He gently cradled the back of her head and wrapped his metal arm around her back. Eva felt her heart thump in her chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She kissed him back, pressing her lips against his as if it was the last kiss she would ever get from him._

_"Eva," Bucky pulled away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, "I'll be back. I **promise** you." She nodded slightly, looking up at him through teary eyes. "Don't cry, ангел." He wiped away the few tears that fell down her cheeks. Eva nodded again, sniffling a few times._

_Reluctantly, they released each other from their embrace. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, neither one wanted to look away first._

_"You...should go..." Eva whispered, holding back tears as her voice cracked. Bucky nodded silently, and they both moved towards the door. As Bucky opened the door, Eva felt the tears fall more freely. He looked back at her as he left, the sadness obvious in his eyes._

_"Come back to me safely..."_

The sudden beeping of her cell phone made Eva jump, startled out of her memory. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. There was a text on the screen.

_Hey. Wanna go shopping?_

_~Nat_

Eva sighed as she stared at the words. She didn't want to do anything. She didn't want to go anywhere. She just wanted to sit home and wait for Bucky. Her emotions were a mess, and she didn't want to walk around in public right now.

_I don't know. I just kinda want to be alone._

_Thanks, though._

_~Eva_

She felt guilty about blowing off the red head, but she knew she wouldn't be the best company for anyone right now. Eva sighed and sat on the window ledge of the apartment, staring at the streets below. A sudden knock at her door made her jump for the second time that night. Before she could move an inch, the door opened.

"Hey. Let's go." The red headed assassin said as she walked into the apartment like she owned the place. Eva stared at her, mouth agape. "C'mon! What have you been doing the past twenty minutes?" She asked, pulling Eva to her feet. "Get your shoes on, put your hair up. Do whatever you need to do. We're going shopping." She insisted.

"Nat, I just - " Eva began.

"Want to be alone. Yeah, yeah." Natasha interrupted her, waving her hand dismissively. "Well, that's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let you sit here and mope about while you wait for James to get back." She explained, grabbing a pair of shoes by the door and tossing them to Eva.

"Hey!" Eva caught the shoes just before they were about to hit her. She stared at them for a moment, then sighed. There was no arguing with Natasha. "Fine..." She slipped on the shoes, and pulled her long hair into a loose ponytail.

"Alright. Let's go." Natasha said, pulling Eva along by the wrist. She was barely able to grab her purse by the door as she left.

Almost two hours had passed, and the two girls walked down the street with shopping bags in each hand. Eva had a smile on her lips. Natasha had taken her to several different high end stores, and paid for nearly everything. It made Eva feel a little guilty, but Natasha insisted. After a while, Eva didn't argue. She just decided she would think of a way to pay her back for it.

"Let's get something to eat. I'm _starving_!" Eva said, smiling at the red head. Natasha smiled back at her.

"It's late. Let's head back to your place to get something." She suggested. Eva arched her eyebrow.

"My place? I don't know what I would have for us..." The brunette chewed on her bottom lip as they walked. "What time is it?" She asked. Natasha pulled out her phone and checked the time.

"A little after ten." She replied. Eva looked at the restaurants nearby.

"Oh, hey! Nino's is still open. That little pizza parlor on the corner." She suggested. Natasha shook her head.

"I wanna go where I can just put my feet up and relax." Natasha insisted. "I'll even cook if you want. I know some recipes..." She smirked playfully. Eva finally caved.

"Alright! Alright..." She threw her hands up and laughed. "You win. Let's go." The two girls made their way down the streets, until they arrived at the apartment complex.

"I'm not gonna tell you! It's a surprise." Natasha laughed. It was the third time Eva had asked what she planned on cooking for them. "But you'll _love_ it. I can guarantee that." She added with a chuckle.

"Fine... Fine..." Eva replied as they headed up the stairwell to her apartment. "But it better be worth it." She tried to sound threatening.

"Oh, trust me. It'll be so good, you might die." Natasha laughed as the two came up to the apartment door. Eva smiled as she fished out her key from her pocket. She unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Immediately, a mix of different smells invaded her nostrils. She inhaled deeply, and could clearly smell that something had been cooked recently. Eva saw a bouquet of blue roses in a vase on the coffee table. She looked around, her mouth agape at the scene. The table in the kitchen had a smaller vase with more blue roses in it. There were candles scattered all around, and Eva looked around as she took a few steps further into the apartment.

"Something smells good." Natasha said, leaning against the door frame. Eva turned and looked at her. The look on her face, a silent wonder of 'did you do this?'. Natasha just smiled in reply.

"I missed you." A voice spoke up. Eva snapped her head in the direction of the bedroom door. Bucky stepped out of the dark entry way, smiling widely. Eva felt like her heart had just stopped. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice caught in her throat.

"I'll just...leave these here..." Natasha whispered, setting Eva's shopping bags just inside the door. Bucky smiled and nodded at her, throwing a wink her way as she shut the door behind her. Eva felt tears roll down her cheeks as a smile spread across her lips. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a mix of a sob and a laugh.

"Did you miss me?" Bucky asked, still smiling at Eva as she struggled to find the words to say. Instead of speaking, she ran to him and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist. She buried her face in his neck and laughed and cried. Bucky wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. "I'll take that as a yes." He laughed and kissed her shoulder.

"Yes!" Eva finally said as she pressed her lips hard against his, running her hands through his hair. Bucky kissed her back just as eagerly, keeping her close against him. She made a mental note that she would really have to pay back Natasha somehow...


	4. Chapter 4

Eva groaned loudly as her eyes opened. Her head was pounding, and a strange smell assaulted her nostrils. She felt sick to her stomach, and could taste the familiar metallic tang of blood in her mouth. She leaned her head forward to shield herself from the light that pained her eyes.

"She's waking." A male voice said. Eva shook her head to clear the fog in her mind. She tried to move her hands to press against her temples, but they wouldn't move. Opening her eyes a little more, she saw that her wrists were restrained to the arms of a chair. Panic and fear overwhelmed her, and she could feel her heart begin to race.

"Good. Maybe she'll be useful." A different male voice replied. His tone was rougher than that of the first man. Eva kept her head down, not wanting to look. The floor was grey and stained dark colors in some places. Her hair fell in front of her face, and she tightly gripped the arms of the chair she was restrained to. The sound of footsteps approaching her made her body tense with fear. Hesitantly, she looked up at the two men who stood before her.

"You sure this plan will work, sir?" The man was dressed in tactical combat gear, similar to what she had seen Bucky wear for missions. Only this man's gear was more plain. He had less weapons on him that she could see. The man he was addressing wore a grey suit with grey pants and black shoes. He had a white shirt on, and a black tie around his neck.

"Yes." He replied, roughly grabbing Eva's chin with his hand. She locked onto his gaze, glaring back at him. "She is his weakness. He will come for her. I have no doubt." Eva pursed her lips and continued to glare at the man in the suit.

"Get your hands off me!" Eva hissed, jerking her head away. She was able to pull out of the man's grip, and she glared at both of them. The man in the suit smirked, then looked at the other man and gave a slight nod before he stepped out of the way.

Before Eva could register what was happening, her head jerked roughly to the side and pain shot through her cheek. She cried out in shock and pain as she leaned her head back. Her hair fell away from her face, and she stared up at the dirty grey ceiling.

"You will tell us what we want to know." The man in the suit said as he stood in front of some kind of metal operating table. Eva remained silent, staring up at the ceiling. The man in the combat gear roughly grabbed a handful of her hair, and jerked her head towards him. She winced, but looked at him nonetheless.

"Or I'll cut that pretty little neck of yours..." The man in front of her said. To emphasize his threat, he pulled a knife out from behind his back and held the sharp edge of the blade against her throat. Eva swallowed nervously, but remained silent. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

"What do you know about the Asset's latest missions?" The man in the suit asked. Even from across the room, his harsh stare was still intimidating.

"Nothing." Eva replied, shifting her gaze from one man to the other. "And he's not your 'asset' anymore." She spat angrily, locking her eyes onto the man in front of her. In return, he tightened his grip on her hair and moved the blade to her side. She felt the tip press against her skin. Slowly, she felt the point break through her skin and she whimpered in pain. Blood stained her shirt, and trickled down her skin.

"Should we try this again?" The man in the suit asked.

About twenty minutes later, Eva was still strapped in the chair. Blood stained nearly every inch of the front of her shirt from the numerous shallow puncture wounds of the knife. She was panting heavily, but never screamed. The man in the combat gear was kneeling in front of her. The tip of his blade was touching the fabric of her jeans, resting on her thigh. He was ready to strike again.

"I've told you!" Eva protested, squeezing her hands into fists. "I don't know ANYTHING!" She jerked in the chair, causing it to move forward a few centimeters.

"We know he's been gathering our intel." The man in the suit paced a line a few feet in front of her. "What do you know about it?" He asked. Eva groaned loudly.

"NOTHING! I don't know anything!" She screamed, wondering when they would get it through their thick skulls. The man kneeling in front of her grabbed hold on her arm and painfully twisted in so her forearm was facing upwards. Eva whimpered and squirmed in the chair.

"You really don't understand the gravity of the situation, doll." He said, pressing and dragging the sharp edge of the blade down the middle of her forearm and stopping at her wrist. It forced a scream of pain from her lips. The smirk on his face made it all the more painful.

"Easy, now." The man in the suit warned him. "We need her alive as long as possible." The man in the combat gear nodded silently. His facial expression changed suddenly, and he pressed a finger against the communication device in his ear.

"Repeat?" He said, his eyes narrowing at Eva as tears stung her eyes. The room around her was spinning, and she felt like she was going to pass out. She was used to pain. But only if the pain was self-inflicted. When someone else made her feel pain, she couldn't cope with it.

"What is it?" The man in the suit asked. Standing up, the man in the combat gear turned to face him.

"The asset is here. He's already taken out most of the security. He's on his way to us." He told the man.

"You know what to do." He replied with a nod before abruptly leaving through a door behind Eva. The lone man turned his attention back to Eva.

"You knight in shining armor is coming." He mocked her with an arrogant smirk on his lips. He moved behind her, resting the side of his face against the side of her head. "Do you think you can make it that long?" He whispered in her ear, teasing the blade along her neck. She trembled, working hard to keep her head up. He must have sensed her weakening state, and he roughly grabbed a handful of her hair again. He kept her head still, staring straight ahead at the door. "I want you to see what I'm gonna do to him..." He whispered.

Eva looked down at the wound on her forearm. Blood was slowly trickling out, dripping off her arm and pooling on the floor beneath her. She whimpered softly, and felt her eyelids getting heavier. She heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside the metal door. A second later, the doors flew open, and Bucky was there. Eva couldn't help the corner of her lips twitch into a slight smile when she saw him. She could see the flood of emotions register on his features. Anger, hate, concern, fear... He moved forward a few steps.

"Ah, ah!" The man said, holding the blade against Eva's throat. Bucky froze, his intense gaze locked onto the man. He was seething with rage, and Eva could see that the Winter Soldier was beginning to take control. "Drop your guns." He demanded. When Bucky didn't immediately do what the man asked, he pressed the blade harder against the side of her throat. He moved it slowly along her skin, making blood pearl and trail down her chest. Eva bit into her lip and stifled a whimper. She squeezed her eyes shut, and a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

"Stop!" Bucky snarled, curling his hands into fists. Eva looked at him, seeing a different person than she was used to. His blue eyes stared icily at the man, holding a rage that Eva had never seen before.

"Tell your soldier to put down his weapons." The man whispered in Eva's ear, nuzzling against her in a way that made her stomach churn. Bucky growled lowly, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"Bucky..." Eva said in a voice so weak and shaky that it made Bucky's blood boil. "Please," she continued, trying to find the strength to keep her head up, "just kill him." The words left her lips, and she immediately felt a sharp pain in her side as the man pierced the blade into her side. It went in further than the other punctures, and Eva felt blood trail down her side. She cried out in pain and squeezed her eyes shut.

Bucky let out an animalistic growl. In one swift, fluid, motion he grabbed a knife from behind him and hurled it at the man. He moved out of the way, but a little too late. The knife lodged itself in his shoulder, and he grunted in pain. Eva opened her eyes, and saw the man move in front of her. Bucky advanced towards him.

"Not bad." The man smirked at him. With a quick motion, he pulled his gun out of his holster and fired off three shots at Bucky. Eva cried out, panic and fear. She thought for sure Bucky had been hit. But the bullets ricochet off his metal arm, lodging themselves into the grey walls. She saw Bucky close the gap between him and the man. He pulled the knife out of the man's shoulder, and he cried out in pain again. Bucky kicked him, and sent him flying across the room. He hit the far wall with a loud thud, and then slid down to the floor.

"...kill you..." Eva heard Bucky muttering as he walked over to the prone man. She rolled her head to the side, watching the scene through half-lidden eyes.

"You can't...get rid of us." The man stared up at Bucky with an arrogant smirk on his lips. Bucky curled his metal hand into a fist and punched the man in the face several times. Out of the corner of her eye, Eva could see the man had blood pouring from his face.

"No." Bucky replied, holding the knife in his other hand. "But I can get rid of _you_." He hissed, before plunging the blade of the knife into the man's neck and about half an inch into the wall behind him. The gurgling sound that erupted from the man's throat made Eva shudder. Such a sickening sound. Bucky stood over the man as he died, and Eva wondered if the Winter Soldier was taking full control.

"Bucky..." She whimpered, shivering as a chill swept over her body. He quickly turned to face her. The rage and icy coldness in his blue eyes instantly melted away as he took in her battered and bloodied form. He rushed to her side, cutting her restraints with his knife before he sheathed it. His eyes roamed over her, taking inventory of all her wounds. He gritted his teeth, determined to make Hydra pay.

"Jesus... What did they do to you?" Bucky wondered out loud, his voice cracking slightly. Eva fell into his arms, weak and unable to support herself in her current state. Her blood stained his clothes, and small droplets trailed down her arm and dripped off her fingers. Bucky picked her up and cradled her trembling body.

"You...came for me." Eva smiled, and brought a shaky hand up to touch his face. He looked down at her and nodded.

"Of course I did." He replied, blinking away the tears that stung his eyes. "I'd never leave you." Bucky kissed her head as he carried her out of the dingy room. The room that he had once been prisoner in. He didn't look back as he left. Eva rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Eva whispered.

"Don't apologize." Bucky hushed her as he made his way out of the facility. "I've got you. You're going to be OK. That's all that matters, my ангел."

* * *

><p>ангел - Angel<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

"Bucky?" Eva's voice drifted out of the bedroom. She poked her head out of the doorway, and saw Bucky sitting on the couch watching television.

"Yeah? What's up?" He asked, looking towards her.

"Let's go out tonight." She smiled at him. "We don't really have any other plans. I wanna get out for a while." Bucky stood up, returning her smile as he walked over to her.

"Any particular place in mind?" He asked, following her into the bedroom as she headed back to the closet.

"Hmm... What's the date?" She asked, searching through her casual dresses. Bucky chuckled softly.

"June fourth." He replied.

"Oh! Oh my god!" Eva exclaimed suddenly, turning to face Bucky with a gleeful expression on her face. Bucky raised an eyebrow at her. "The carnival! We should go to that carnival tonight! It'll only be around until tomorrow!" She suggested, pulling off her t-shirt and tossing it on the bed.

Bucky smiled as he looked at her barely covered chest. He could see the faint scars on her skin from where she had hurt herself. He wasn't smiling because she had hurt herself. He was smiling because there were no fresh ones. No new scars that needed to be attended to. None that were in the process of healing. He hated seeing the bright red and angry, fresh scars that sometimes marred her beautifully pale skin. It made him feel helpless.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked him, noticing him staring at her silently. He shook his head and looked into her eyes.

"Nothing. I'm just..." he paused and stepped towards her, wrapping his right arm around her bare back to hold her close. "I'm just happy that you don't have any new scars, is all." He brought his metal arm up to caress her cheek, gently brushing a few strands away from her eyes. A blush adorned her cheeks, and she looked down.

"Well, I haven't had a reason to." She replied. "The voices haven't been bothering me, mom hasn't called to harass me..." Eva shrugged her shoulders and looked back up at Bucky with a smile on her lips. "Besides," she bit her lip, "I have this amazing boyfriend who is pretty much the reason I wake up in the morning." Eva stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed the only part of his face she could reach; his jaw.

"Oh? Is that so?" Bucky playfully asked, letting her turn back to the closet to find something to wear. "He must be damn lucky to have such a beautiful girl in his life." He chuckled softly and turned to face the dresser. He pulled off his grey shirt, and grabbed a black one out of a drawer.

"Yeah. He really is." Eva replied, pulling out a blue floral print sundress and slipping it over her head. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail, and ran her hands through it to fluff it up a little bit. "Not too sure what he sees in me, though." Eva walked over to the dresser and grabbed a tube of chapstick and put it in her pocket. "I'm broken."

"Hey..." Bucky grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him. "You're not broken." He looked down at her. "You're beautiful. We all have our short comings." He nodded down at his metal arm. "You're my ангел." Bucky whispered, kissing her forehead. Eva blinked at him, not sure of what to say back to him. "Let's get going, beautiful."

Fifteen minutes later, Bucky and Eva were walking hand in hand around the carnival. She leaned her head against his arm as they walked past a few food vendors.

"You hungry?" Bucky asked, kissing the top of her head. Eva looked up at him, a twinkle in her eye.

"Are you? I'll eat if you do." She replied. Bucky shook his head.

"No. Just wanted to check on you." He smiled, and they began walking again. After a few minutes of wandering around, Eva spoke up.

"Oh, Bucky! Look!" She said excitedly, pointing a finger at one of the game booths. Bucky followed her gaze, and saw rather large stuffed cartoon versions of Steve, Natasha, Clint, and all the other Avengers. Looking closer, he also saw there was one of him. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. "What do you think?" Eva asked, a playful smile on her lips.

"You want _another_ me?" Bucky asked, chuckling and shaking his head. Eva nodded excitedly, like a little girl.

"Yeah! That way I won't be so lonely when you go on missions for so long." She replied, already pulling him towards to game booth before he could refuse.

"Welcome, welcome!" The man operating the booth greeted them with a wide smile. "Come to win a prize for your girlfriend?" He asked them. Eva nodded, giggling softly.

"I'll do my best." Bucky replied. "What's the game?" He asked.

"Knock over the bottle pyramid in three balls or less." The man explained. "Hitting them all in one ball gets you your choice of any large prize." He pointed to the Avengers dolls. "Two balls will get you a a medium sized prize." He motioned to the Avengers dolls that were slightly smaller. "Three balls will get you a small prize." Again, there were smaller versions of the Avengers dolls. "If you don't manage to knock down the pyramid, you get your choice of a blow up version of your favorite Avengers' weapon." Eva looked at the different weapons he mentioned. She could see Hawkeye's bow, inflatable Hulk fists, Thor's hammer, a few different weapons that Natasha used, Iron Man's arc reactor, Steve's shield, and even Bucky's left arm.

"Oh god, Bucky! They have an inflatable version of your arm!" Eva shook her head and looked up at him. She saw the smirk on his face as he chuckled.

"Let's do it." He said, giving the man a dollar and he received three balls from him. "You might want to move out of the way." Bucky said to the vendor. He nodded, and stepped off to the side. Eva also stepped away to give him space. Bucky picked up one of the balls, and held it in his metal hand. A second later, the ball hurdled towards the bottles at an incredible speed. Not only did the entire pyramid fall, but the bottles shattered into hudreds of tiny pieces. The ball tore a hole clean through the cloth hanging in the back of the booth.

"Well... That was..." The vendor scratched his head and laughed. "I probably should have expected that." Eva covered her mouth with her hand. At least the vendor seemed to be taking it in stride. "What prize do you want?" He asked Bucky.

"Eva?" Bucky's voice drew her attention, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "You OK, beautiful?" He gently took her hand and pulled her to him.

"I've... I've never seen you use your arm like that before." She shivered against him. He wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He kissed the top of her head.

"No, no. I'm not scared." Eva looked up at him and blushed slightly. Bucky arched one eyebrow and looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Never mind..." She bit her lip and looked at the vendor. "The Bucky doll, please!" She smiled and took the stuffed cartoon doll from him.

"Hope you like him." Bucky said as they walked away from the booth.

"I love him." Eva replied, latching onto Bucky's arm again. "Let go on the ferris wheel." She suggested. Bucky nodded as they headed towards it. There was no line for the wheel, thankfully.

"Just you two?" The ferris wheel operator asked. Eva nodded. Bucky motioned for her to sit first in the open swinging chair. She smiled and stepped ahead. Bucky took the opportunity to whisper something in the operator's ear. He smiled and nodded, giving Bucky a thumbs up.

"There's even room for little Bucky to sit." Eva joked as Bucky sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders from behind. She leaned against him as the operator made sure the latch on the swinging chair was secure.

"Have fun, you two." He said. Bucky nodded slightly at him.

"We certainly got lucky that nobody else was in line." Eva looked up at Bucky, smiling sweetly at him. The ride moved smoothly, and Eva eagerly looked around each time the wheel hit its apex. Everyone at the carnival was having such a blast. Little kids were running around with Avengers dolls and blow up toys. A few teenage couples were kissing at various semi-private places. Eva sighed with content. Suddenly, the wheel stopped when it reached the apex of its third rotation. Eva looked around, unsure of what was happening.

"Hey." Bucky whispered in her ear, making her jump slightly. She turned to face him, and was immediately greeted by his lips on hers. His right hand cradled the back of her head as he pulled her closer with his other hand around her waist. Eva whimpered soflty and wrapped her arms around his neck. She parted her lips slightly, playfully grazing his lips with her tongue. Bucky let out a breathy laugh, then pulled away.

"That was smooth..." Eva giggled. Bucky smiled at her, tapping her nose with his index finger.

_BANG! BANG BANG!_

Startled, the two jumped in the ferris wheel chair. Looking up at the sky, bright colors illuminated the area before they fizzled and faded away. Eva smiled and leaned against Bucky as she stared at the colored explosions that lit up the sky.

"Did you plan that?" Eva asked, draping her arm across his chest.

"Maybe." Bucky smirked, gently running his hand through her hair.

"Maybe _I'm _the one who's lucky, instead of the other way around." She said, listening to the steady rhythm of Bucky's heart in his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Let's agree to disagree." Bucky joked, gently cupping Eva's chin and tilting her head back. She smiled at him, anticipating what he was planning on doing. He leaned down and placed another kiss on her lips as the fireworks lit up the night sky around them.

* * *

><p>I would like to thank Singer Of Water for this prompt. ^^<p>

FF Account: u/2404032/Singer-of-Water

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Please go follow and read her work if you haven't already!


	6. Chapter 6

Eva couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face as she hurridly stuffed what clothes she could in a blue backpack. The pounding on the door made her heart beat even faster than it already was.

"Open...the door!" Each word was emphasized by a fist pounding against the wood. Eva wiped her eyes and zipped up her bag, ignoring the woman on the other side of the door. She knelt down and grabbed a box from under her bed. Opening it, she grabbed everything out of it; a wad of crumpled up money, and some precious trinkets from her father. Among some other things. She tossed the box at the wall, opening up a hole in the already crumbling and cracked drywall. Eva shoved the money in the pocket of her jeans, and put everything else in a pouch of the backpack before she slung it over her shoulder.

"You have to do this, Eva. You can't stay here." She bit her lip as she stood in front of her bedroom door. Before she could talk herself out of unpacking and staying, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. She was greeted by the sight of her mother swaying unsteadily on her bare feet. Eva resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and the stench of the alcohol reeking from her mother's pores made her want to vomit. "Excuse me, mom." Eva was able to manuver around the unsteady drunk woman.

"Where're you going?" Her mother slurred, and was able to grab a hold of one of the straps of her backpack. Eva turned to face her. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm leaving." She replied simply, jerking her bag free from her mother's grip. Quickly, she turned back around and hurried towards the front door.

"Useless..." Her mother grumbled, still stumbling after her. She leaned against the wall for support. "You just...gonna walk out on me? Like your useless excuse for a father!" Eva turned back around when she reached the door.

"Yes." Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "At least dad still talks to me. At least _he still cares about me_. He cut the poison out of his life. Something I couldn't bring myself to do." Eva paused. "Until now."

Her mother suddenly swung her arm at Eva, her hand closed tightly into a fist. But Eva was able to easily block her mother's drunken wild swing with her arm. Losing her balance, her mother fell to the floor. Her head hit the scratched and worn floorboards, making a loud thud. Eva wiped her eyes and stifled a sob as she stared down at her mother. She hadn't always been like this. Eva remembered some of the good times they used to have. Going to movies, shopping at the mall, having girl time together... Though those memories seemed so far away now.

"...useless excuse for a daughter..." She mumbed, rolling onto her back. She looked like a strange turtle, the way she kept trying to get up. "Help me up." She demanded, the words slurring together.

"No." Eva shook her head and turned back to the door, putting her hand on the handle. Her mother groaned loudly, upset at not getting her way.

"I shoulda gotten an abortion... Why did I ever give birth to such a useless, pathetic girl?" The words were like a knife in Eva's heart, the blade twisting painfully in her chest. She couldn't help the shocked and painful sob that left her lips. She opened the door, and stepped out onto the darkened street.

"Eva!" Her mother called out. "Get back here!" She screamed like a banshee. But Eva kept walking with tears in her eyes. She didn't look back once, vowing to leave her painful past behind.

It was a balmy mid-summer evening, as Eva headed down the street. She had no idea where she was going, but knew she had enough money to stay at a cheap motel. At least for a few days. She didn't know what time it was, but knew she needed to get something to eat soon.

"Alright... Let's see here." Eva muttered to herself, looking down the block to see what was open. A brightly lit sign for a pizza place caught her eye, and she headed inside.

"Can I help you?" The woman behind the counter asked cheerfully. Eva faked a smile, and looked at the clock behind her. It was just after midnight.

"Yeah. Just a slice of cheese and a bottle of water?" She replied, tossing her long brown hair behind her shoulders. The woman nodded, and Eva handed her the money. "Thanks." Just a few minutes later, she sat down at a small table and began eating.

As she finished her food, she heard the door open behind her. Instantly, the quiet silence was broken by a group of loud teenage boys. Eva groaned inwardly, and stood up to throw away her trash. A sickening feeling grew in the pit of her stomach when she felt their eyes on her. One of them whistled at her, and tried to get her attention. But she ignored them and hurried out of the pizza place as fast as she could.

Outside, a slight breeze had started up. It felt good on her skin, and as it blew through her hair. Across the street was one of the entrances to a large park. Fireflies light up the night as they flew around the trees. Eva had grown up here, but over the past few years the area had gained a negative reputation. Vandalisms, muggings, groups of kids attacking people... The area had really just taken a blow. Eva sighed, deciding to cut through the park as a shortcut to a nearby motel.

"Hey baby! Where you going?" A voice called out to her. Eva looked over her shoulder and felt her stomach drop. The group of boys from the pizza place were headed over towards her. There were about four of them, and they all wore dark hoodies. Eva turned back around and picked up the pace as she neared the center of the park.

_Just ignore them, Eva. Keep walking... Keep walking... _She repeated to herself, keeping her eyes locked straight ahead. Before she could react, she could see their shadows approaching her. Her pulse raced, and she shivered with fear.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" The tallest of the four stood in front of her, effectively stopping her from moving forward. She could sense one of the boys behind her, and two were one her right side.

"I'm just..." Eva looked around nervously. She stepped to the left to walk around the boy, but he mirrored her and blocked her off again. "I'm just trying to get somewhere." She said, her voice timid and shaky. The boy behind her ran his hand through the back of her hair. Eva shrugged him away, feeling panic overwhelm her.

"You're to pretty to be out here all by yourself, dollface." The boy in front of her reached out to stroke her cheek. But Eva smacked his hand away and took a step back. His expression changed from a fake smile to a hard, angry looking glare.

"Oho..." The boys chided, making it seem like Eva had done something bad and was about to get in trouble for it. Before she realized what she was doing, her feet and legs were carrying her away from the boys. She sprinted off to the left as fast as her legs could take her. She could hear the pounding of feet right behind her, and she dared not look back.

Suddenly, her body collided with the grass and she squirmed underneath the weight of one of the boys pinning her down. She felt him pull her bag off her shoulder, and could see him hand it to one of the other boys out of the corner of her eye.

"Get her up." The tall boy said. The boy pinning her down stood up, and grabbed her roughly by the hair. Eva yelped and got to her feet.

"Please... I'm just trying to get to the motel..." She whimpered, angry at having told them where she was going. But it seemed to be a moot point now. The tall boy tossed her bag to the ground and walked towards her like a predator.

"The motel? Sounds like fun." He mocked her, tracing his finger along the side of her neck and following the collarbone until he tugged at the fabric of her shirt just above her breasts. "But we could have fun right here instead. What do you think?" He asked, reaching behind him. Eva moved her hands to push him away. But the boy behind her grabbed her arms and held them behind her back.

"Wait, wait, wait! Please!" Eva trembled, struggling with the boy restraining her. The two boys off to the side just seemed interested in watching. Her eyes darted around, trying to spot anyone who might be nearby. Anyone who's attention she could grab.

"She's shaking like a leaf." The boy restraining her laughed and nuzzled into her hair. Eva felt the tears sting her eyes.

"Please... I can give you money!" She begged, her lower lip trembling.

"Shut up!" The tall boy in front of her snapped, smacking her face. Eva cried out in pain. "I don't want your fucking money..." He whispered, pulling out a small pocket knife.

"Oh god, please..." Eva whispered, shaking her head. She stared at him fearfully. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and began to cut through the fabric. "NO! PLEASE!" She let out a blood curdling scream.

"Shut up, bitch!" He barked at her, holding the knife up to her neck. Eva whined softly, but nodded slowly in compliance. She closed her eyes, and could hear the fabric of her shirt ripping. Suddenly, she let out another scream. She was panicking, and felt like she couldn't control her body.

"I'm gonna stab this bitch..." The boy restraining her said. Eva kept her eyes shut as she felt him release her, and she fell to the ground. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed. She braced, waiting for the pain of the knife. But it never came. She heard what sounded like fighting, and thought the boys were arguing with each other.

"We gotta go! We gotta _GO_!" One of the boys said, panic in his voice. Eva slowly opened her eyes. One of the boys was lying face down in the grass. Her backpack was next to him, and she crawled over to it. She frantically searched through the pouches until she found her razor blade. She held it in her trembling hands as she scanned the area for the other three boys.

One was hobbling out of the park. His ankle was twisted into an unnatural position, and his arm flopped limply at his side. The third boy was laying on his back on the completely opposite side of the park. The fourth boy, the tall boy, suddenly landed right in front of her. His wrist was obviously broken, and his face was covered in blood. When he saw Eva, he growled and reached out, grabbing hold of her shirt. Eva sliced at his hand with the razor, causing his to yelp and let go. She skittered back on her hands to get away from him.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a man with shaggy brown hair dressed in what looked to be all black walked up behind the tall boy. Eva locked her eyes onto him, watching as he hoisted the boy up by the collar of his shirt. His left arm was made entirely of silvery, shiny metal. She could hear his metal fingers clinking together as he balled his hand up into a fist. With one swift motion, he punched the boy. He flew backwards and landed in a heap some thirty feet away. Eva couldn't take her eyes off the man. She couldn't bring herself to move. Her hands were shaking, and she gripped the razor tightly.

"Are you all right?" The brown haired man knelt in front of her, looking into her eyes. Eva stared at him, mouth agape, eyes wide and panicked. She couldn't find her voice to reply. "It's OK now. Are you hurt?" He reached out and gently placed his hand on her arm.

"I..." Eva couldn't speak. Tears fell from her eyes, and she sobbed softly. She looked down at her shaking hands. Moving on muscle memory, she pressed the razor to the pale skin of her wrist and dragged the blade about an inch down her arm. She would have gone further, but the man grabbed a hold of her hand with the blade in it.

"Hey!" He exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing?" Eva couldn't understand why he had stopped her. She looked back up at him with confusion evident on her tearful face. He grabbed the blade from her and tossed it into the bushes. "Come on. Let me help you." He said, gently helping her to her feet. Eva felt like the world around her was spinning, and she closed her eyes until the dizziness passed. "What are you doing out here so late? Let me take you home."

"No... No... Don't take me back there." Eva trembled as she opened her eyes. She locked her gaze onto the man's bright blue eyes, with a fresh wave of tears in her own.

"Alright..." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him so he could support her weight. Eva rested her head against him. "Do you want to go to the hospital?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I...just wanted to get to the motel." Eva whispered, feeling the blood trail down her arm. As they walked, she could feel the cool breeze on the skin of her stomach. She looked down and saw that her shirt was cut from the bottom to just below where the band of her bra was. She felt like she was in a daze. "Why...are you here?" She asked.

"Insomnia. Was taking a walk. I heard a scream. That's when I saw..." His voice trailed off. "Why are you going to the motel?" He asked, bending down to pick up her bag. Eva bit her lip.

"I can't go home. I can't go home. I can't go home..." Each time she said it, it sunk further into her that she had no home. Nowhere to go.

"It's OK." He reassured her, as they headed down the sidewalk. "Let me take you to my apartment and clean you up. Is that OK?" He asked. Eva nodded.

"You... You look familiar." She managed to say. She thought she heard him chuckle softly.

"I'm Captain America's friend. The one with the metal arm." He replied. Eva didn't know what to say. She had just been rescued by a superhero... "James Barnes. But everyone calls me Bucky." He said.

"Eva..." She introduced herself.

"Pretty name." Bucky said. "It's nice to meet you. Let's get you to my place, clean you up, and get you to sleep." She could practically hear his smile as he spoke.

"I won't stay too long. Probably just tonight, and I'll leave when I wake up." Eva said.

"No, no." Bucky shook his head. "I know what it's like to not have a place to go to. To not have a home." Eva could hear the pain in his voice. "You stay as long as you want. I've got room to spare." He helped her up the steps of the apartment complex.

"I..." Eva started to protest, but decided against it. The two headed up the stairwell. They stayed silent until Bucky opened the apartment door. "Thank you, Bucky." She whispered, starting to cry again. He guided her to the couch, and helped her lay down.

"Let me help you." He said, gently stroking her arm. "I want to help you, Eva." His words brought the tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite knowing very little about her, Bucky felt his heart break for her. He wanted her to feel like someone cared about her life. He didn't want her to be lost, like he was.

Bucky saw a little of himself in Eva.


	7. Chapter 7

Eva curled her feet up on the couch, listening to Bucky rustle about in the bedroom. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. Bucky came out of the bedroom, his shaggy brown hair hanging in front of his face. His was looking for something, it was obvious.

"Need help looking for something?" Eva asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"No. No, it's OK." Bucky shook his head as he looked underneath the couch. "I just misplaced something..." He muttered, moving into the kitchen and opening the cabinents.

"You sure?" She asked, moving her hand in between the cushion and arm of the couch.

"It's OK, Eva." Bucky insisted, moving to the bathroom. She stood up from the couch, grabbing the cold, metal object and holding it behind her back. She could hear Bucky searching the drawers and cabinents of the bathroom. He came out, running his hands through his hair.

"Bucky?" Eva called to him softly, locking onto his blue eyes.

"What?" He asked, sounding frustrated. He stared at her as she brought the object into view. She saw his eyes widen, and then they locked onto her.

"Why do you have this?" She asked, holding the gun at her side.

"Eva..." Bucky walked towards her, holding out his hand for the gun. She stepped to the side of the couch, and backed up a few steps. "Eva, give me the gun." Bucky's tone was deadpan.

"Bucky, I don't..." Eva shook her head, backing up a few more steps. Bucky walked towards her, closing the gap. But there was still space between them. "Bucky, please. I don't like knowing this is here..."

"Eva, give it to me." He said, his eyes icy and cold.

"Why do you have it?" She asked, her voice shaky and timid.

"For protection. Now give it to me."

"Protection?" Eva asked. "Bucky, this scares me. What if you lose control? What if the Winter Soldier - "

"Give me the gun, Eva!" Bucky growled, clenching his fists together and advancing towards Eva. She trembled as she back up, feeling her back hit the wall. "Just give it to me, and I'll put it in the safe!" He suddenly threw his arm up, pointing to the direction of the bedroom. Eva felt tears roll down her cheeks as she collapsed on the floor. The gun slipped from her hands and landed next to her.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me..." She sobbed, curling up on her side in the fetal position. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean it..." Eva squeezed her eyes shut, shaking like a leaf. Bucky blinked a few times, clearing his mind and kneeling down to Eva.

"E-Eva?" Bucky felt a twinge of pain in his heart. "Eva... Baby." Slowly, he reached out his hand and gently touched her shoulder. Eva sobbed, unable to speak. Bucky moved his position so he was sitting with his back against the wall. "Come here, baby." He said softly, as he picked her up and cradled her in his lap. He held her close to his chest, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"Bucky..." She sobbed, gripping his shirt with both hands.

"I'm sorry, Eva. I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Eva shook her head.

"It's...not you..." Eva choked out between sobs. Bucky didn't understand what she meant at first. But after a moment, the wheels clicked into place.

"Oh god, Eva! I...I didn't even think...!" He hugged her tighter to him and kissed her head. "I'm so sorry..." Bucky shook his head, angry with himself.

"Bucky, please..." Eva latched on to him, desperate to stay as close to him as she could.

"Shh... I'm here." Bucky soothed her, rubbing his hand along her back. He couldn't believe he had forgotten something that pained Eva so greatly. Bucky knew about her mother. How she had been so violent with Eva. To the point of nearly killing her. She was volatile and unpredictable. Always spitting out harsh words at her only child. Eva had to deal with her mother's abuse, and the abuse she inflicted on herself. Bucky was angry with himself for acting the way he had.

He looked down at Eva, and saw that she had pretty much fallen asleep. She wasn't sobbing or shaking anymore. Bucky kissed her forehead, and held her in his arms as he stood up. He carried her into the bedroom, and gently laid her on the bed. He covered her with the blanket, and laid down next to her. Snuggling close to her, Bucky wrapped his arm around her protectively.

He told himself that he would get rid of the gun tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky woke up to the all too familiar smell of blood invading his nostrils. He jerked his head up, snapping his eyes open and taking in his surroundings. Everything was painfully familiar.

_No... No!_ He screamed in his mind, jerking his arms against the thick metal restraints that covered his forearms and biceps.

"Ah! You're awake." A familiar voice said from behind him. Footsteps came closer until the man stepped in front of him.

"Pierce..." Bucky growled, glaring at the man in the suit. His hair was combed over in its usual fashion, and the sagging corner of his lips curled upwards into a sneer. Bucky felt the familiar sting of the back of Pierce's hand meeting his face. His head jerked to the side, and his shaggy brown hair covered his eyes.

"Now," Pierce paced a short line in front of Bucky as he spoke, "we have you back. We have a mission for you." He stopped pacing, pulled up a chair and sat in front of Bucky.

"I'm not your obedient little dog anymore." Bucky snapped, jerking his body forward against the restraints. Pierce moved back about an inch, and smirked.

"No, you're not. But we can fix that." His eyes fixated on something behind Bucky. Pierce nodded, then brought his attention back to Bucky. "Those suited goons you've been 'saving the world' with," he began, "we're going to send you back to them when we're done here." Pierce stood up. "But, you'll be a little different." He smirked, bringing his attention to something Bucky couldn't see. "You're going to get rid of them." Bucky glared at him. "Singlehandedly."

"No." Bucky refused simply. "No, I'm not." His blue eyes grew icy cold as he glared at Pierce. He wanted to break free of the restraints and rip his throat out.

"We thought you would be resistant at first." Pierce held up his hand at someone entering the room behind Bucky. "But I'm sure you've not forgotten where you are." He motioned his hands around the room.

It was true. Bucky remembered all the pain and torment he endured in this room. The electricity pouring into his head, eating away at his memories and thoughts until nothing was left but the basics. Killing, fighting, stalking in the shadows... Being a ghost. An empty shell of a human. A blank slate, ready to be written on. It wasn't something he wanted to feel again.

"No, I haven't forgotten." Bucky said through gritted teeth. "In fact, it's given me the drive to want to rip your beating heart out of your chest." He clenched his hands into fists. Pierce laughed and looked at him, standing on the other side of a metal operating table.

"There's the assassin we know." He pointed at Bucky with an arrogant smile on his lips. "Not all of that soldier is gone. I can see it." He nodded. "You _will_ carry out this mission, or..." Pierce nodded at someone behind Bucky.

"Or what?" Bucky hissed, flexing his muscles. He heard two sets of footsteps approaching behind him. It was only when they appeared in front of him, did his heart jump into his throat.

"Or, she will die." Pierce replied as Rumlow and Rollins dropped Eva in a heap on the concrete floor. She was a, quite literal, bloody mess. Her shirt was ripped and torn, exposing her bra and abdomen. Her hair was disheveled, and Bucky felt his blood boil when he saw she only had her underwear covering her lower half.

"You..." Bucky glared at the two smirking Hydra agents. "I'm going to rip you both limb from limb." His voice was low and deadly. Eva was shivering, huddled up on her side on the floor, desperately trying to cover her exposed body with what was left of her shirt.

"Get her up." Pierce said. Rollins and Rumlow each grabbed one of Eva's arms, and roughly hauled her to her feet. She let out a blood curdling scream of pain.

"You sure did a number on her arm." Rollins said just loud enough for Bucky to hear. Bucky seethed in the chair. Pierce pushed a chair over to them, and they pushed Eva into it. She cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I did a number on more than just her arm." Rumlow sneered, catching Bucky's icy gaze. "Pretty little thing you have here, soldier." He roughly grabbed a hold of Eva's chin, forcing her to look at Bucky.

"Bucky..." Eva whimpered, looking painfully into his blue eyes. Her lower lip trembled, and she wrapped her arm around her abdomen. Bucky could see her shoulder was dislocated, and knew that she was doing her best to ignore the pain. "I'm...sorry." She whispered, closing her eyes as more tears rolled down her bloodied face.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, beautiful." Rollins said, stroking her hair. Bucky growled like a wild animal.

"Pierce, you let her go!" Bucky demanded, tearing his eyes away from Eva's shaking form. Pierce moved out from behind the metal table, taking his new place behind Eva as she sat in the chair.

"She is rather beautiful." He said, running his hand through her hair. Bucky could see Eva struggling to stay still. He could sense her urge to want to get away. "But we need her for leverage." Pierce stated, placing his hands on the back of the chair. "For your compliance." He grabbed Rumlow's gun from his holster and pressed the barrel of the gun against the back of Eva's head. Bucky's eyes widened, and he heard her whimper with fear.

"Pierce, please!" Bucky pleaded, fighting against the restraints. "I'll do it!" He finally agreed, feeling the anger rising within him. "I'll...do it..." Eva heard the utter defeat in his voice, and it brought more tears to her eyes.

"Good." He replied with a smirk. Bucky let out a breath, locking onto Eva's beautiful eyes. "Wipe him. He won't remember her anyway." The words washed Bucky in fear and panic. Before he could blink, he heard the unmistakable sound of the gun going off. Eva fell out of the chair and landed, sprawled out, on the floor. Blood pooling around her head. Bucky couldn't process what had just happened.

"**EVA!**" He screamed, feeling his heart instantly shatter into millions of pieces. Rollins and Rumlow moved towards him, holding him down until the familiar sound of electricity crackled through the air. The device moved towards Bucky's head, and he screamed out for Eva again.

Bucky bolted up in bed, shaking and sweating. His heart was racing, and he held his hands up to his face.

"Eva? Eva!" Bucky looked down at her in the bed next to him. Before she fully wake up, Bucky wrapped her up in his arms. She finally opened her eyes, but didn't know what was going on.

"Bucky...?" Her voice was like music to his ears. Even in its sleep induced haze. "What's the matter, baby?" She asked, wrapped her arms around him. She was slolwy becoming aware of her surroundings.

"You... You were..." Bucky sobbed against her, burying his face in her long brown hair.

"Shh, baby." She scooted closer to him, gently stroking the back of his head. "I'm here... I'm right here." Eva kissed his head. After a few minutes, Bucky brought his head up and looked her in the eyes. The moon shining in through the windows cast her in an etheral light. He placed both hands on her cheeks, staring at her intensely. It was as if he wanted to make sure she was really there.

"Hydra...Hydra had us both." Bucky panted. Eva could see the fear still prevalent in his eyes. "Rollins and Rumlow... They..." He could barely bring himself to say it. "They beat and raped you. Then Pierce used you to get me to agree to do a mission." His heart was starting to beat normally again, but he was still shaking. "Even though I agreed... He still killed you." Bucky sobbed, wrapping her up in his arms again. "Right in front of me..."

"Oh, Bucky!" Eva hugged him tightly, her heart breaking as she heard him cry. "It's OK. It's OK." She repeated over and over again, rubbing both her hands up and down his back. "Look at me." She said, pulling away from the hug. Bucky reluctantly let her go, and looked in her eyes. "I'm right here. It was just a nightmare." She reassured him.

"I know, but..." He held both of her hands in his.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." Eva smiled at him, fighting back tears of her own. She grabbed his right hand, and placed it over her heart.. "Feel that?" She asked. Bucky nodded silently. "Good. Know what that means?"

"You're...alive." Bucky replied softly. Eva nodded.

"Exactly, baby." She kissed his forehead. "I'm your angel. I'm here for you." Eva gently stroked his cheek. "Always."

"Aнгел..." Bucky whispered, and Eva nodded with a smile. Bucky laid down, and pulled Eva down next to him. He wrapped his metal arm around her protectively. She leaned towards him and kissed him gently as they both fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Aнгел - Angel<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

"Eva?" Bucky asked softly, gently rousing the brown haired girl from her sleep. It had been almost two hours since she cried herself to sleep in his lap after he found her collapsed and bloody on the bathroom floor. While she was sleeping, Bucky took it upon himself to remove the tiny shards of glass from her knuckles. "Can you wake up for me, hon?" He asked, gently running his hand through her hair.

"Mmn..." Eva groaned in her groggy haze. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at Bucky. A bittersweet smile spread across his lips as he caressed her cheek. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy.

"That's my girl." He pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Eva stretched her legs out, and stretched her arms over her head. She flexed her hands, and inhaled sharply in pain.

"Ow!" She looked at her hand, covered in dried blood. "Oh god..." Her heart pounded in her chest. "What did I do?" She looked at Bucky, panic in her eyes as she trembled.

"Shh... It's OK. You're alright, Eva." He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close to his chest. "Do you remember anything that happened?" He asked her.

"Bits and pieces." Eva replied after a moment. Bucky kissed the top of her head before he released her.

"Let's get those wounds cleaned up. I don't want you getting an infection." Bucky said as they both stood up from the couch. Eva held her bloodied hand up to her chest, and walked into the kitchen with Bucky. He turned on the warm water, and gently took Eva's hand. "Sorry. It's gonna sting." He apologized and moved behind her.

"I know..." Eva grimaced and gritted her teeth. Bucky gently held her hand under the running water, and Eva cried out and clenched her other hand into a tight fist. She tried to jerk her hand away from the water, but Bucky held it there a few moments longer. When he finally turned off the water, he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry." Bucky apologized again as he moved to the side of her and gently kissed her wet hand. He grabbed a clean dish cloth and gently dabbed the blood away. Eva bit her lip and looked down.

"No. Don't apologize." She shook her head. "I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have put you through - "

"Eva, hush." Bucky interrupted her, placing his metal index finger over her lips. "You didn't put me through anything. Granted, I was a little scared. But I was just glad you were OK." He said, gently brushing his cold fingers over her cheek. Eva looked up at his beautiful blue eyes, and felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"I...I don't know why you stay with me." Eva admitted. Bucky sighed, frowning at her.

"Because I love you. _All _of you. Isn't that reason enough?" He asked, placing the dish cloth on the counter as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're beautiful. Everything about you is worth loving." Bucky released her, and turned around to grab a roll of gauze out of the medicine cabinent. Eva couldn't find the words to respond. Bucky turned back around, and gently wrapped her hand.

"Bucky..." Her voice cracked with the threat of tears.

"Come here, aнгел." Bucky took her uninjured hand, and led her back to the couch. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. Eva sat down and pulled her legs up under her. "Will you talk to me about what happens?" He asked. Eva felt her jaw drop in surprise.

"You mean... When I have an episode?" She whispered, gently running her fingers over her bandage.

"Yes. Is that OK?" Bucky asked, turning to face her. His expression seemed so concerned, and Eva took a deep breath. "I kind of understand what happens. I mean, you know about my episodes. It seems kind of similar." He reached out and gently placed his hand on her knee.

"I just have voices in my head." Eva looked down. "I have two voices in my head that aren't mine. They tell me I'm useless, and that nobody cares about me." There was pain in her voice, and Bucky just wanted scoop her up in his arms and never let her go. "One voice is really...aggressively mean. And the other is mean...but in a nice way?" Eva shrugged. "It's hard to explain. Like, the tone of their voice is sweet and innocent. But they say really horrible things." She wiped away a few tears that rolled down her cheeks.

"What else do they say?" Bucky asked gently. Eva looked up at him, staring into those beautiful blue eyes again.

"I don't deserve to be happy. Nobody wants me." Eva bit her lip and tore her gaze away from Bucky before she spoke again. "They try to tell me that you're a liar and you don't really care about me." She whispered. The words pained her to say, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Eva, my beautiful girl." Bucky pulled her to him, and she leaned against his chest. His heart was beating against her ear, and she listened to the steady rhythm of it as he breathed. "I care about you with every fiber of my being." He held his arms around her, as if he wanted to shield her from the world. She brought her head up off his chest and looked at him again.

"I don't understand how you can see me as a beautiful person. Or even as an angel." Eva sighed. "Angels are beautiful and pure. They have wings that support them. I'm not beautiful, or pure." There was a tone of disgust in her voice as she berated herself. "Look, Bucky." She held her wrist out so he could see. There were numerous scars on her pale skin. Nearly all of them had healed, but the lines they left behind were still there. The pain etched into her skin; her self-inflicted punishment. "How can you call that beautiful?" Bucky gently took her wrist in his metal hand.

"You are more than your scars, Eva." He gently traced over the scars with his fingers before he places a kiss on her wrist. "You have intelligence," he moved his hand to stroke her head, "a beautiful voice," he gently traced his finger down her neck, "and this beautiful heart." He placed his hand over her heart and smiled at her. "That's what I love about you. You have such a big heart, and there's a place for me in there." Eva looked at him, not knowing how to respond.

"I..." Her voice caught in her throat when she tried to reply.

"Let me be your wings." Bucky said, staring into her eyes. "Just like you are mine." He pulled her to him again and placed a long and sweet kiss on her lips. Slowly, he pulled away.

"Thank you..." Eva said, blushing up at him. "Thank you for...saving me." Bucky tapped her playfully on the nose and smiled.

"I think it's you who saved me." He replied, and Eva giggled.

"Let's agree to disagree." She suggested, kissing his cheek. Bucky chuckled and nodded as he pulled her into another long and deep kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Bucky?" Eva looked up at him. They were cuddling on the couch, just passing the time by watching television.

"Hmm?" He looked down at her, staring up at him as she rested her head on his lap. She pursed her lips together in thought, then sat up after a moment.

"Can I ask you..." She sighed and looked down. The question was harder to ask than she thought it would be. She ran her hand through her hair, then twisted some of it around her finger. "About your arm?"

"You wanna know about my arm?" He asked, sounding rather surprised. Eva nodded, biting her lip.

"Is...that OK with you?" She asked softly.

"No one's ever really asked me about it before." Bucky admitted with a shrug. "I was surprised." He smiled slightly at her. "What do you wanna know?" He asked.

"Oh, umm..." Eva gently took his metal arm and held it in both her hands. She ran her fingers up the length of his arm and traced the outline of the red star on his shoulder. "Can you feel with it?" She asked.

"I feel pressure, mostly." He replied. "If you did what you're doing on my real arm, I would be able to feel the heat of your finger tips against me. With this arm, I can just feel something there. But I don't know what it is." Eva tilted her head to the side and stared at him.

"Do you wish it was gone?" She whispered. Bucky looked down and sighed.

"Sometimes." He replied after a long silence. "But if it was gone, then I would have nothing to protect you with." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Eva smiled back at him.

"How strong is your arm?" She asked curiously.

"Well, I've punched holes through a lot of solid things. Brick walls, concrete, metal. Just to name a few." He shrugged like it was no big deal. "I could pick you up and carry you around with just this arm if I needed to." Bucky joked, causing Eva to blush and look away. "Maybe toss you over my shoulder and take you wherever I wanted."

"That's um..." Eva coughed and smiled shyly. "Good to know." She laughed, and caught his gaze.

"Eva," Bucky smiled widely as he brushed her hair behind her ear, "are you _blushing_?" He asked teasingly. Eva covered her cheeks with her hands.

"Nooo. Of course not!" She denied his inquiry while trying to to laugh.

"I think you are..." Bucky playfully poked her side, making her laugh and move her hands away from her red cheeks. "You are! You're blushing!" He teased her, tickling her sides.

"Aha! No! You're...seeing things!" Eva gasped out in between laughs. "Bucky! S-stop! Ahaha!" She fell back against the couch, laughing and squirming as she tried to push him away. Bucky laughed with her as he straddled her waist, pinning her on the couch.

"Is that all it takes to get you to blush?" He asked, not giving her a reprieve from his tickling. She squealed, still laughing.

"Ha! N-no!" Eva gasped. Bucky stopped tickling her, giving her a moment to catch her breath. "You've done other things that have made me blush." She admitted, causing Bucky to arch one eyebrow with curiosity. "You just haven't been looking at my face when you've done them."

"Is that right?" He asked, smirking playfully. Eva nodded, biting her lip. "Maybe I should do some experimenting..." Bucky whispered, picking Eva up in his arms. She squeaked in surprise, then giggled as he carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>This is rather short, I know. It was supposed to end differently, but I wanted to add some fluff and cuteness into my one shots. Instead of them always having this dreary and sad atmosphere.<p>

I hope you like it!


	11. Chapter 11

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

The sudden loud rapping at the door startled Eva as she came out of the bathroom. She smiled slightly as she headed towards the door.

"Did you forget your key, Bucky?" She laughed as she opened the door. When she locked her eyes on the figure outside the entrance, she paled. The smile vanished from her face, and her heart dropped into a bottomless pit. Her voice caught in her throat.

"I..finally found...you!" Eva couldn't move.

"M-mom?" The word was a whisper in the air. The woman nodded, and pushed Eva out of the way as she staggered into the apartment. Eva felt her heart pounding, and she could sense the wave of panic that loomed just around the corner.

"This is...a nice place.." Her mother staggered around, looking at everything with her drunken wide eyes.

"Wh-what are you...doing here?" Eva asked, still standing with the door wide open. Everything felt so surreal, and she wondered if this was really happening.

"I came to...bring you back home!" She hiccuped as she slurred out her words. Eva shook her head.

"I'm not coming back home, mom." She replied firmly. "Now, please leave." She pointed towards the open door. "I don't want to have to call the police." Eva really didn't want to get the police involved. She still loved her mother with all her heart, but she couldn't stand to be around her when she was drunk. It was the whole reason she left in the first place.

"Oh shush..." Her mother slurred, staggering closer to Eva. She could smell the alcohol on her breathe, and it made her want to gag. "Come on...Eva. Le's go home." She grabbed a hold of Eva's wrist, and squeezed it tightly.

"No." Eva refused, trying to wriggle her wrist free. "_This_ is my home, now." The brunette was angry at herself for not having the strength to pry her mother's hand off her. "Let go of me!" She exclaimed, trying to break free of her mother's drunken death grip.

"Stop being a spoiled brat, and let's go!" Her mother yelled at her, jerking her arm so hard that Eva lost her balance and fell forward. She tried to stop herself with her other hand, but everything happened so quickly that her head hit the door frame so hard that she saw stars. She cried out in pain, and held her hand against her head.

"Ahh! Let go of me!" Eva screamed. She looked at her hand, and saw streaks of blood on it.

"Eva?!" A familiar voice called out. She heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.

"Bucky! Help!" She instinctively called out, holding her hand against her head again. Seconds later, Bucky appeared inside the door way.

"Who are you?!" Bucky stared at Eva's mother.

"Eva's mother. I'm...taking her home." She replied, trying to pull Eva up off the floor.

"Let her go. She's not going anywhere with you." Bucky growled protectively.

"What are _you_ going to to about it?" She slurred, pushing Bucky away. On reflex, Bucky grabbed her wrist with his metal arm and squeezed it until Eva's mother howled in pain and let go of Eva.

"I _could_ snap you like a twig." He hissed, forcing the drunken woman out into the hall. "But I'm not going to waste my time. You're already killing yourself, you useless drunk." Eva's mother just stared at Bucky. Wide eyed and open mouth. "Get out of here. I don't want to see you again." He growled. "_Ever_." Bucky pushed the woman away, and she staggered away.

"Bucky... Help me." Eva whimpered. Bucky quickly rushed over and knelt down next to Eva. He saw the blood trailing down her head, and he picked her up in his arms.

"Come on, aнгел. Let's get you to the hospital." Bucky kissed the top of her head as he carried her to the car. Eva kept her hand over her wound.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how she found me." She whispered.

"Don't worry. It'll be OK from now on." Bucky kissed her again. "Promise."


	12. Chapter 12

Bucky frowned as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom. There were clothes strewn all over the place. All of them were Eva's. He sighed and picked them up, tossing them into a basket nearby.

"Eva? The laundry needs to get done!" Bucky called out as he left the bedroom. "How you still have any clean clothes is beyond me." He joked as he walked up to her in the kitchen. She turned to face him, putting down the dish cloth she was using to dry the dishes.

"Isn't it your turn to do the laundry?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Bucky chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Don't even try to pawn it off on me." He smiled, holding her against him. Eva smirked, then quickly changed her expression to one of shock.

"I would never pawn anything off on you, love." She replied in as innocent a voice as she could manage, holding her hand over her heart as she spoke. Bucky laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't play innocent with me, baby girl." He smirked down at her, and Eva couldn't help but giggle. Bucky kissed her forehead, and she smiled up at him. His blue eyes gazing down at her, and the smile on his lips. His brown hair falling in front of his face... Eva wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm not playing anything, Bucky." She shook her head, a smile spreading across her lips as she spoke. "I really am just a good and innocent little girl." Eva insisted, looking up at him as she batted her eyelashes at him. Bucky grinned, showing his teeth.

"Yeah... Sure you are." He playfully rolled his eyes as he brushed his cold metal fingers across her neck. Eva shivered and ran her hands down his chest. "Good and innocent little girls would do the laundry when they're told." Bucky whispered, kissing her cheek before heading towards the sink.

"Aww..." Eva pouted, lowering her head. She turned to face Bucky, and was immediately greeted by a spray of water. "Ah! Hey!" She held her hands up to shield her face, and tried to duck out of the way. The water stopped, and Bucky was standing there smiling. "Bucky!" Eva gasped, staring at him with her mouth hanging open. "What was that?!" She exclaimed with a laughed.

"Oh, Eva... Looks like you should change!" He couldn't contain the laugh that punctuated the end of his sentence.

"You jerk!" Eva exclaimed with a smile on her face. "I can't believe you..." She pushed her wet hair out of her face. "I have no clean clothes!" She whined, walking towards Bucky.

"Hey!" Bucky held his hands out to keep her from hugging him. "Don't hug me! You're soaking wet!" He exclaimed.

"But _you're_ the one who made me this way!" Eva replied, flicking water off her hands at him. Bucky laughed and shook his head. "Ugh... Point received! I'll go do the laundry." She shook her head and turned around, flipping her hair over her shoulder and flicking more water at Bucky.

"Good girl." He called after her. Eva smiled and shook her head as she headed into the bedroom. She stripped off her shirt and pants and tossed them into the laundry basket.

"Damn it, Bucky..." She shook her head and smiled as she headed towards the dresser. She pulled out one of Bucky's shirts, a pair of his sweatpants, and tossed them on the bed. Eva rung the water out of her hair, and slipped on Bucky's clothes. They smelled just like him, and she inhaled deeply. The shirt was loose on her, and seemed more like a night shirt for her. She tied the drawstring of the pants so they wouldn't fall off her, and she grabbed the laundry basket and headed out of the bedroom.

"Eva..." Bucky spoke up, leaning against the wall with a smile.

"Yeah, Bucky?" She asked, resting the laundry basket on her hip. "What's up?"

"What are you wearing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I had to throw on some of your clothes. I couldn't very well do the laundry soaking wet, or even in my bra and underwear." Eva said. Bucky took a few steps towards her with a smile. "Wh-what?" She asked as he walked closer to her.

"You look...damn adorable." Bucky replied, reaching out to tuck some of her wet hair behind her ears. Eva smiled and shook her head.

"Are you gonna spray me with water again?" She joked, switching the laundry basket to her other hip. Bucky laughed and shook his head.

"No, baby." He whispered, placing his hand on the back of her head.

"Bucky, I have to do the laundry." Eva replied, placing her hand on his chest and smiling up at him. "You said so yourself."

"Come here." He said, pulling the laundry basket from her grip and setting it on the floor. Before Eva could process what was happening, Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. She gasped softly, then kissed him back as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's gotten into you?" Eva pulled away and asked, staring up at him.

"You should wear my clothes more often." He whispered, placing a kiss on her neck. "All your clothes are too pretty to rip off." Eva covered her mouth and giggled, a blush adorning her cheeks.

"Bucky!" She gasped, unable to keep the smile off her lips. He laughed and picked her up, nuzzling into her neck. "Whoa! What's going on?" Eva held on to him as he carried her over to the couch and laid her down. "The laundry won't do itself!" She giggled.

"Neither will you." Bucky replied provocatively, causing Eva to blush harder. He kissed her neck as he straddled her on the couch, and she bit her lip.

"God... I should wear your clothes more often!"

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><p>More fluff and cuteness! I hope you guys enjoyed this more...eager side of Bucky. ;)<p> 


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